About

It’s highly likely that you are visiting because of one of the following reasons:
- on the lookout for a place to do really great work,
- in search of an agency to help grow your business or protect your good name,
- a competitor, wondering what we’re up to,
- or maybe the mom of one of our staff.
Whatever brings you to this page, we would love to answer your questions in person. Until then, here’s some of what you’ll want to know. . .
We recently announced plans to grow our business through one of the largest-ever mergers in the public relations industry, combining operations with Pleon, Europe’s largest strategic communications consultancy. As a result, we’ve strengthened our position as one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse public relations agencies and Europe’s leading public relations agency, with more than 45 offices and affiliates in over 25 countries across the Continent.
We work for global clients, UK clients and very local clients. We’re seasoned communicators with backgrounds in journalism, marketing, science, the arts and prison (long story) among many other pertinent areas. We also have some of the best accountants, HR people, IT specialists and caterers helping us around the clock.
Most of our clients are leaders in their fields – healthcare, cosmetics, domestic goods, civil society, technology, food and beverage, professional services, and entertainment. The few that are not are striving to be, and we’re doing our best to help them get to the top.
Have a question for us? Send it to greatpeople@ketchum.com, and we’ll answer as best as we can.

Don't Mess With Texas (Or Why Place Matters In PR)

An article on the unique state of mind that is the Great State of Texas got my attention for nostalgic reasons, but it offers an important reminder for communications planning, too: place matters.

'Place' in this case is code for all kinds of critically important aspects of the way we think, feel and act as a result of where we are and where we're from.

It shapes our attitudes about food, health, music, fashion, sports, business and family. It informs our beliefs about faith, politics and history. And it labels our personas, for better or worse.

Now Texas truly is special, but it's not unique in this regard.

I've met 'Texan's from all over the world - they just happen to call themselves Bavarians, or Kiwis, or Geordies, Emirati or what one guy from Kyoto called himself but I can't remember now.

We all know that place is important, and share a chuckle at the Americans who ask for a 'pan-Asian' campaign, or the Asians who ask for a European road show, or the Europeans who see America or Africa as single homogenous markets, and yet we simultaneously believe the internet and social media platforms like Snapchat are rendering physical location obsolete.

Both mind-sets are valid.

The 'flattening' effect of the internet is undeniable and unstoppable, and in many ways it diminishes the importance of proximity for members of the communities it serves.

But in other ways, the internet (especially social media) amplifies and concentrates the power of place in our minds: it reaffirms our myths, strengthens our ties and enables new connections with our old 'places' that might have otherwise faded away.

Place matters.

Technology is changing how it matters, but not replacing it, and when we think about how we communicate, we need to remember both.